


The Miracle Child

by BlaubeereHusky



Category: Super Smash Brothers, snakus
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-29
Updated: 2016-09-29
Packaged: 2018-08-18 12:03:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 7,475
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8161481
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlaubeereHusky/pseuds/BlaubeereHusky
Summary: One fateful morning, bounty hunter extraordinaire Samus Aran finds out something that she didn't think was possible: she's pregnant. That same day, hardened soldier Snake is searching for the perfect ring to use to propose to his long-time girlfriend.
Neither of them know how to tell the other one... but once they do, their lives are changed forever.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is a story I co-wrote with a friend SaitheSuperSayian on Wattpad, she has her version posted there. Despite the 7 chapters, this is actually just a really long one shot.

_Tick-tock. Tick-tock._

The seconds were agony. Every small tick of the watch’s golden hand made the woman’s insides churn with uncertainty, and a little bit of the nauseous feeling that she’d been accustomed to lately.

_Tick-tock. Tick-tock._

She paced around nervously in the small bathroom, glancing back and forth between the little plastic stick on the sink and the wrist watch next to it.

_Tick-tock. Tick-tock._

She looked at the stick again, unable to read the slowly appearing marks, and then returned her attention to the watch. It was not time yet.

_Tick-tock. Tick-tock._

She sat down on the lip of the bathtub, putting her head in her hands. _This just can’t be right. It just can’t be. No way is this possible._

_Tick-tock. Tick-tock._

_Not after the implantation of two alien strands of DNA. Not after Phazon poisoning. My menstrual cycle’s never been the same, never really been normal, after that. There’s no way this could be true._

_Tick-tock. Tick-tock. TICK._

That was it: the one hundred and twentieth second! Samus pushed herself off of the tub’s edge and snatched the stick up, looking at the results. The test was showing two very clear vertical lines.

_Damn it!_ She angrily thought as she tossed the stick into the trash. It landed on top of two other tests that she’d already taken, both of which showed the same results: two clear vertical lines. Pregnant.

She sat back down on the edge of the bathtub, head in her hands. How was she going to tell him? How would she ever be able to tell him?

This shouldn’t have been possible.


	2. Chapter 2

This had to be one of the most difficult decisions he’d ever had to make. Critical decision making had its place on the battlefield. The enemy patrol is closing in and you’ve only got time to grab either the fresh gun clip or the ration of enemy food. Your gun has two bullets left but your energy is running low. Go for the food. Your stamina is more important and the human body can outlast any weapon.

But choosing between the cushion cut diamond and the black opal with the rolling mackerel pattern? Not an easy decision. At all.

“Hrm…” He mused as he leaned over the glass counter, staring down at the two open ring boxes in front of him. He continually glanced between them, still struggling to make his final decision.

He’d been steadily visiting the same jewelry store over the past couple of weeks, looking for the perfect engagement ring to finally present to his long-time girlfriend. But never had he believed that his final decision would be so damn difficult!

War was something the old soldier understood, jewelry was not. It was not as simple as going in, picking a diamond ring and walking out, as he’d so fool-heartedly believed. There were hundreds of styles of rings to choose from. Some had a lone gem, some had smaller jewels nestled on the side of the centerpieces. Some had intricate patterns that ran down the side of the bands, while others were plain. There were rings of gold, silver and bronze, and every ring came in different sizes.

The man had realized he hadn’t even known his woman’s ring size when he’d first paid a visit to the place. He had to measure her finger in her sleep. It didn’t help that diamonds were a lot more expensive than he’d previously believed too.

After looking at nearly every ring in the store, mulling over what he’d thought she might like, and with advice he’d often exhausted from the employees, he had finally narrowed down his decision to just two rings. Of course the diamond was more expensive, with a price tag of $3,999. Cubic zirconia was a cheaper substitute for diamonds – or so he’d been told – and it looked just as nice. But what was he going to tell Samus? ‘Sorry, I love you and all, but you’re just not worth buying a real diamond for’? As the saying goes, diamonds are a girl’s best friend, so she would certainly like it… right?

But as his gaze flicked over to the other ring, he reconsidered. The diamond wasn’t nearly as mesmerizing and colorful as the black opal, which was a gorgeous shade of blue-green, just like her eyes.

Oh, but that woman had the most fierce and beautiful eyes. Her irises were a bright shade that faded into a darker color at the rims. It reminded him of the deep, icy waters of the Alaskan sea. Tranquil, yet absolutely mysterious, just like she was. He could get lost in her eyes for hours at a time…

Abruptly someone cleared their throat near him, jarring Snake from his thoughts just as he heard, “Have you decided yet, sir?”

It was the counter employee, the poor woman who’d been dealing with his indecisiveness from day one. By now she looked jaded, and not at all confident that today would finally be the day Snake would make his decision.

But he was determined to prove her wrong.

He stood up straight, adjusting his trench-coat to shake off the slight embarrassment of being caught zoning out again. He pointed to one of the boxes. “I’ll take that one. The opal,” he said, his voice gruff. The woman raised her eyebrows so fast he could have sworn they were going to shoot straight off of her head and stick right onto the ceiling.

“Are you sure, sir?” she asked, though she poorly masked the relief in her tone.

He had to resist the urge to groan in annoyance, “Yeah, that’s the one. I’ll need it re-sized to a nine.”

“Okay!” The clerk took both boxes from the counter top, placing the diamond ring back in the display case and locking it up tight. “Your ring should be ready for you in about two days, Mr. Plisken. Would you like to pay now, or when you pick it up?”

“Now’s fine.”

“Alrighty then,” the woman said, smiling. She punched in a few buttons on the register, “Your total will be $1,755.” Not as pricey as the diamond ring, but at least the lecture he was sure to receive about the ring’s price wouldn’t be as bad when Samus found out.

***


	3. Chapter 3

Samus sat at the small dining room table, located in the kitchen of the house she shared with Snake. She was apprehensive and mildly worried, yet at the same time, she was… happy. Even a little bit excited.

After all the stress and strain she’d put her body through, all the alien worlds and atmospheres she’d braved with and without the protection of her Varia Suit, she was still able to conceive a child it seemed. But it wasn’t just her. Snake was sterile, that’s what he’d told her back when he’d confided in her his tragic story as a created pawn – A surviving product of a project named Les Enfants Terribles, children cloned from the blood of an infamous soldier.

In an attempt to prevent others from creating more clones of Big Boss through Snake, his genetic code had been tampered with. Among a genetic edit that would cause him to age beyond his time there was another 'modification' that disallowed Snake from passing on his genetic information. He was, for all intents and purposes, infertile.  
Yet, at the dining room table Samus sat, a life now growing inside of her. Of course she’d not been with anyone else; she loved Snake and could never betray his trust. But… it all just didn’t seem real.

She had to tell Snake, but she feared how he would react. He would certainly be shocked, that much was for sure, but how would he take it? Would he be happy? Or would he be so dead-set on believing that it was impossible for him to conceive that he would actually accuse her of cheating?  
Samus decided that she wouldn’t tell him, at least not for a few days at least, until she could find a proper way of breaking the news to him. And so she could come to terms with it herself.

There was a soft little yawn by her feet, and Samus looked down over the table’s edge. Lying on the kitchen floor was a sleeping husky puppy, which had been Snake’s idea of a house-warming present to commemorate them finally moving in together. She could remember the look on his face the day he brought the pup home; she’d never seen him smile so wide, nor had she seen him look so happy, as he played with the small dog. The puppy was quite plump so Samus had taken to calling him Chubs.

The sound of the front door opening startled her out of her thoughts, and Chubs jerked awake, running towards the front door barking. A nervous smile appeared on her face, but as soon as she heard, “Samus? You home?” from Snake, both her smile and her confidence fell. Though she still managed to reply.

“In here.”

She stood as Snake walked into the kitchen, holding Chubs in his arms, his pale blue eyes beaming at her. The puppy was licking his face and whining in excitement, Samus smiled, although it was forced. Seeing this, Snake gave her a curious look, and she internally cursed herself. Could he see the nervousness she was trying to hide? _Damn it, how the hell is he so perceptive?_ She thought. She would have to redirect his focus, “So, where’ve you been?” she asked.

“Oh, just out,” he said, a small grin appearing on his face. Samus raised an eyebrow at that; it seemed that Snake was hiding something of his own. She shook her head and grabbed the cordless phone from its nearby dock on the wall. “Otacon called,” she said, holding it out to him.

“Trust Otacon to call when I’m out,” he grumbled, taking the phone while simultaneously leaning over to kiss her cheek and pass Chubs into her arms. He walked out of the kitchen, dialing his friend’s number, as Chubs now licked Samus’ face.

She smiled, scratching the pup’s head, but the second Snake was out of sight, a pang of guilt went through her. She placed Chubs on the floor. Rubbing her arms, she headed into the lounge room and sat on the couch before, grabbing her personal tablet. The tablet displayed the latest bounties from the Galactic Federation and other third party companies, and while she knew that she wouldn’t be able to take on a new mission any time soon, the familiar habit of idly scrolling through the bounties provided a nice, welcome distraction.

***

_“So, did you finally pick out the ring today?”_

“Yep, got the opal.”

Otacon laughed. _“That only took you all of two weeks.”_  
“Hey,” Snake huffed, “Cut me some slack, I’ve never done this before.” He then frowned, saying quietly to himself, “Never really thought I would…”

_“So, how do you plan on asking her?”_

“Huh?” The realization hit Snake; He’d been so focused on picking out the perfect ring for her that he’d never even thought just how he was going to ask Samus to marry him. “Uhh…”

There was a sigh from Otacon. _“Maybe you can take her out for a nice dinner?”_ He suggested. _“Some couples even go to the place where they first met to propose.”_

The place where’d he first met Samus? Snake knew that that’d be a little complicated…

“Don’t worry,” He assured. “I’ll figure something out.”

_“Alright then,”_ Otacon said. _“Just don’t take two weeks.”_ He laughed as he spoke, and Snake would have punched him, provided Otacon was actually sitting next to him. The pair then said their farewells and hung up, but Snake sat on the bed for a bit, his decision sinking in. It was final. It was going to happen. He was going to ask Samus to marry him.

He breathed deeply to himself then walked out of the room, heading through the kitchen to put the phone back on it's dock. Then he strolled into the lounge, to see Samus laying on the couch, watching television with a bored expression on her face and her tablet in her lap. She looked up at him as he walked over and sat down next to her. “Looking up new bounties?” He asked.

“Yeah, but I didn’t find anything,” Samus answered, shifting her position so that she was leaning on him. “Anything that wasn’t small fry, anyway.”

“You sure?” Snake frowned. “I looked at it earlier; I thought I saw the Federation post another pirate raid.”

“Did they?” She questioned. “Huh, I must have missed it.”

That wasn’t like her at all. Samus scanned the bounty hunter boards several times a day; she wouldn’t have missed something like that. But as Snake opened his mouth to question her Chubs jumped onto his lap, and burrowed himself in between them, or at least he tried to. The pup’s plumpness forced them slightly apart, Snake chuckled.

“What are you feeding Chubs?” Samus laughed.

“Is that what we’re calling him?” Snake asked, scratching the pup’s butt. “Chubs?”

“Well, you haven’t come up with a name yet,” Samus replied. Chubs managed to flip over and onto his back, she rubbed his fat belly, “And you say you want more huskies.”

“Not just more,” Snake said, grinning before he threw his arms out wide, “I want a whole farm. Like, fifty!”

Samus lightly punched him in the arm. “We are not getting fifty huskies. It’s going to be enough work with one dog and the little one—”  
She cut herself off abruptly, but didn’t avoid the curious look from Snake. “Little one?” He asked, confused. “What little one?”

She stuttered. “Y-You know… the other dog. The other husky pup you want to get...”

Snake’s face instantly lit up. “Really?”

Samus nodded, though it was a little awkward. “Why not? I’m sure Chubs will need a friend.”

Snake was overjoyed about the fact that she was allowing him to get another puppy, but something was odd about the way she was acting. Snake practically had to beg her to get one dog, but all of a sudden, she was allowing him to have two…? “You okay, Samus? Is something wrong?”

“No, of course not!” she replied, speaking just a little too fast. 

Snake frowned, taking a hold of her hand. “Come on, you can tell me.”

She nervously looked away. “It’s… It’s nothing, really. I was… just thinking about the future, you know?” she looked back at him. Snake, all of a sudden, felt himself grow nervous as well.

“The… future?”

“Yeah,” Samus said, nodding and smiling awkwardly. “You know, us. Together in this house. With our dog. We’re… kind of like a family.”

_Family…_

“Oh,” Snake said, looking away from her in an almost shameful way. Samus had never, ever told him about her feelings on children, and he’d never asked. Truthfully, he didn't want to. Having been born sterile, he’d never be able to give them to her, and while he was prepared to live the rest of his life without children, what about Samus? Snake began to wonder if asking her to marry him was right. In his own honest opinion, he’d just be tying her down to a big, nicotine-addicted rock for the rest of her life. As he shifted uncomfortably under the weight of his surfacing doubts he'd said, “Yeah… a family… It’d be nice to finally have one.”

Samus scooted closer to him and laid her head on his chest. He wrapped his arms around her, gently running his fingers through her long, blonde hair. She smiled, closing her eyes and seemingly enjoying the attention. “It really would.” She murmured. Chubs whined, buried between the both of them, his feet twitched but he remained motionless, having fallen asleep. Snake smiled, though it felt bittersweet.


	4. Chapter 4

A couple of days later, Samus awoke to an absolutely horrendous feeling. Jumping to her feet, the huntress swiftly ran from the bedroom to the bathroom down the hallway, leaning over the toilet in the nick of time. When her stomach was empty of its contents, she leaned back against the wall and closed her eyes, pressing her cheek against the cool plaster. She felt like she was suffering with Phazon poisoning all over again.

“Well, at least Snake can be happy knowing that he’s not infertile anymore,” she said to herself. She cleaned up her mess and herself, washing out her mouth thoroughly before going back to the bedroom she shared with Snake and changing into new clothes.

She headed to the kitchen to get something to drink, only to see Snake coming inside from the backyard, the puppy running inside too. Chubs’ fur was damp and messy, he shook in the kitchen, spraying a small amount of water all over the floor. Samus smiled at Snake, “Morning.”

“Hey,” He said cheerfully. He shirt was a bit soaked, and Samus blinked curiously at him before asking what he’d been doing, which caused him to laugh and reply, “I was washing the dog.” Then he frowned, “Are you alright? I heard you in the bathroom earlier…” He walked over and pressed the back of his hand to her forehead. “You don’t have a fever.”

“Oh, I think it’s just morning sickness,” Samus said. The words had slipped right out of her mouth, her eyes grew wide with the realization of what she’d said, Snake’s expression changed from one of concern to one of confusion.

“Morning sickness?” he repeated, frowning, “Ha, nice joke, it’s not funny. Tell me what’s wrong.”

Samus wasn’t sure what to do. Right now, he believed that she was joking, right now, she could say anything else, or she could fake another illness, and he’d believe it. But... did she really have to lie to him? What he’d said the other night about having it be a nice idea to have a family, it had definitely eased her fears a bit.

She decided to tell him the truth.

“I’m not kidding, Snake,” She said gently, looking him in the eyes. “It’s morning sickness.” She smiled lightly. “I’m pregnant.”

Snake laughed, though it was humorless. “Oh, you’re such a joker. But—” He paused when he realized that Samus had a completely serious look on her face, her smile disappeared and her eyes looking straight into his own. He tried to laugh again, but the sound was completely forced. “Ha… ha… you’re… not kidding, are you?” he asked.

Samus shook her head. “Nope. We’re gonna be parents.”

She watched as the soldier’s face changed into a variety of expressions, from surprise to confusion to what appeared to be humor again. He turned away from her, putting a hand over his mouth. “I… I think I have to sit down…,” he mumbled, but he only took two steps before he collapsed like a ragdoll, smashing his head on the dining table before hitting the floor.

“Snake?!” Samus exclaimed as she knelt down next to him and rolled him over. He didn’t look like he’d wounded himself seriously, but she still decided to call for help, just in case.

***  
 _“Sir…? Sir…?”_

Someone was calling out to him.

_“Hold on, I think he’s coming to…”_

Oh God, his head was aching. Someone was shining a light in his eyes.

“There he is… How are you feeling, sir?”

Snake’s vision cleared up and he recognized the ceiling of his living room, as well as the familiar brown fabric of the couch he was laying on. Hovering over him were two men in uniform, the closest one to him holding a tiny flashlight in his gloved hands. They were EMTs. Snake groaned as he put a hand to his head, retracting it immediately upon feeling an intense sting.

“Yeah, you’ve got a nice little knot there,” The man with the flashlight said, putting said flashlight down before holding up his hand. “I’m going to need you to tell me how many fingers you see.”

Snake groaned again. “…Four?”

“Okay, good,” The EMT said, pulling at Snake’s eyelids, then grabbing his chin and turning his head side to side, observing him. “No fluids... What’s the last thing you can remember? Can you tell me?”

Snake searched his memory. He remembered getting up early, sneaking out of bed and out of the house. He remembered picking up the ring at the jewelry store, then coming home to find Chubs covered in oil, dried rice and flour; he’d gotten into the pantry somehow. He remembered taking the pup outside, then he remembered coming inside to see Samus…

“Samus…” He gasped. “Samus! She—ow!” He felt a sudden sharp pain in his leg, he looked down to see that the other EMT had pinched him.

“Instant reaction to stimuli,” He said to his partner.

Snake growled at the second man, clutching the stinging spot on his outer thigh. The first EMT looked above and behind Snake’s head. “He doesn’t appear to have a concussion; I think he just banged his head real good.”

“That’s a relief.”

Snake craned his neck backward to see Samus standing over him with a hand on her chest, her expression one of worry. A rush of blood caused his head to start pounding again as both men stood and backed away. “For now, just give him an ice pack to help bring the swelling down. But keep a close eye on him. If he starts to show any signs of dizziness or confusion, or if he becomes sluggish or starts vomiting, call us right away okay?”

Samus nodded and with that, the EMTs packed up their supplies, Samus thanked them and escorted them out of the door. She then turned back to Snake as he sat up. She stared at him for a moment and he stared back, lightly rubbing his forehead.

“I’ll go get you some ice,” Samus said and walked past him into the kitchen. He heard her rummaging around. She returned with a bag of frozen peas, wrapped in a tea-towel. She placed it gently on his forehead. Snake hissed, and Samus half-heartily chuckled. “Sorry.” Then her expression turned to a more worried one, and she asked, “How are you feeling?”

“Head is pounding,” he groaned. Their eyes locked. They both fell silent again, and Snake knew Samus was waiting for his reaction. He swallowed hesitantly, then asked, “Pregnant…?” She nodded, and he frowned. “But…” He didn’t want to say it, didn’t even want to think it. Samus wasn’t that kind of person. She just wasn’t. “Were you… were you with someone?”

She shook her head, her voice was soft. “No.” 

“Samus, you know I can’t—”

“I wasn’t with anyone, Snake.” Her voice was stern, but it was calm as well. “No one but you.”

“Sam…”

“I’ve been feeling sick every morning, and tired too. My breasts have been hurting lately. They just feel so heavy and tender…” At this, Snake looked down at her chest, and she scoffed with humor, causing him to look back up at her face, into her eyes. “I’ve taken three different tests, and they were all positive. I wasn’t with anyone. I could never do that to you.”

Snake just continued to stare at her. Her eyes were soft and her smile was warm, although he could definitely see the worry behind it. She began to stroke his hair, waiting for him to speak again, and eventually he asked, “How long have you known?”

“Only a couple of days,” she replied. “I didn’t know how to tell you because I didn’t know how you’d react.” Her words caused him to look down at her stomach, and slowly, he reached out a hand to gently touch her abdomen with his fingers. “Snake?”

“What a surprise, huh?” he said, “I never thought I’d be a father.”

Samus beamed widely before pulling his face towards hers and kissing him. He groaned as his head pounded again, and Samus laughed before saying, “Sorry,” and adjusting the bag of peas on his head. Then she asked, “What do you think the baby will be?”

Snake frowned and thought for a few seconds, then said “Boy.”

Samus laughed. “You’re certain about that?” Snake nodded. “What if it’s a little girl?”

“Nope, it’s going to be a boy,” Snake said firmly. “And his name will be Frank.” He crossed his arms. “Don’t argue with me on this one.”

“Frank?” Samus asked, raising an eyebrow, “Why Frank?”

Snake was silent as he looked away from Samus. “He was my best friend back in FOXHOUND. I met him during my first mission, back when I was still a rookie. We were on different sides of Outer Heaven, but… we were just two soldiers doing our jobs. I thought… I thought I’d killed him back then.” He paused, Samus remained silent. Snake could see her watching, listening, and as he looked back at her, “Frank came back at Shadow Moses, and sacrificed himself to save me. He was a good person, so I want to name our little boy after him. It would mean a lot to me.”

“You never told me about him,” Samus said, her voice sad. Snake just shrugged, he honestly didn't know why he'd never told her about Gray Fox. “Well okay, but his middle name has to be Adam then.”

“Adam? After your former commander?”

Samus nodded. He mulled the two names around in his head for a moment. Samus said softly “You’re smiling, Snake.”

“Am I?” He couldn't help smiling wider.

“Yes, you are,” She laughed before leaning over and kissing him on the other part of his forehead. She then put her free hand on her belly. “Frank Adam Aran… Frankie.”

“Are you sure it’s mine?” Snake teased suddenly.

She rolled her eyes. “One hundred and ten percent.”

“I don’t know…” Snake grumbled, a mischievous spark in his eyes. “I think I would have remembered making him…”

“No you wouldn’t,” She teased back, “Because you’re always out like a light afterwards!”


	5. Chapter 5

Snake sat on the back porch of the house, looking at the ring box in his hand. It felt a little heavy, and he felt a little nervous, but he knew that he had to finally get it over and done with.

It had been about five months since Samus had announced to Snake that she was pregnant, and by now her belly had grown to a significant size, as had her chest, much to his enjoyment. Two weeks ago they’d gotten an ultrasound and it confirmed that the baby was indeed a boy. After that they’d spent the rest of the time looking at baby clothing, items and other things. Snake was a little overwhelmed with the shopping at times, he had no idea what really went into taking care of a child or how expensive it all was, especially the cribs. Snake had joked that he’d be perfectly happy with providing a cardboard box for the baby to sleep in, like the Finnish people, but Samus had said that he’d be the one sleeping in a box if he thought their baby was.

He sighed as he took another drag of his cigarette. He knew he needed to quit, and vowed to try before the baby was born, but at the moment, the cigarette was the only thing keeping him from stressing out. He eventually smushed it into the ash tray, headed back inside and went to find Samus, holding tightly onto the ring box. The woman was standing right at the kitchen stove, making something to eat.

Snake took a moment before approaching Samus to look her up and down. He didn’t know what it was, but ever since she’d gotten pregnant, everything about her just became incredible to him. She had a certain glow around her. Her skin seemed even softer than it was, and she smiled nearly all the time. She’d been attractive before, but all the extra pounds she’d gained, even with the baby bump, just made her even more irresistible. Snake had a hard time keeping his hands off of her.

After telling him about the pregnancy, Otacon had informed Snake that men often underwent hormonal changes themselves, alongside their pregnant partner. It was so common that the phenomenon had a name – Couvade Syndrome. These changes were believed to be caused by pheromones secreted by pregnant women, and by the brain preparing for fatherhood. The effects, Otacon had said, could range from mood swings and higher levels of anxiety, to weight gain and even cravings. Otacon had also reminded Snake that, if he were ever out buying a midnight snack for Samus, he was not to forget one for himself.

That was the hardest Snake had heard Otacon laugh in a while.

As Snake approached, Samus looked up, smiled, “Hey sweetie.”

“Ew,” Snake said jokingly at the nickname, then he looked down at her food – which looked vaguely like macaroni and cheese, only with a lot questionable ingredients added in – and said a genuine, “Oh, gross. What is that?”

“Macaroni and cheese,” Samus said, grinning before taking a bite of it.

“Are those corn flakes?”

She scoffed. “No! Don’t make fun of my cooking, Snake! Besides, you can’t talk, you eat grilled snakes!”

“I do not,” Snake grumbled. “It was once. Once I tell you. For FOXHOUND training. Big Boss made everyone eat gross stuff.”

Samus laughed. “Keep telling yourself that.” She turned off the stove, apparently done cook her strange concoction. She looked down at his hand, which was tightly clenched around the ring box. “What d’you have there?”

Snake stiffened. He rubbed the back of his neck and stuttered out, “Well, uh… I um… it’s… ah…” He looked up at Samus and swallowed, his nervousness getting the best of him. He was terrible in this sort of situation.

Suddenly there was loud barking followed by the thudding of heavy paws, and Snake swiveled around only to see two huskies bounding straight towards him, a rope toy locked between both of their jaws. He barely had any time to react, trying to back up before the dogs stepped on and tripped over his feet, crashing right into him and sending him to the floor.

“Chubs!” He growled, and the bigger, fatter husky dropped the toy. The smaller one did as well, but she approached Snake and licked his face in excitement. He laughed as he tried to push the puppy off of him, but his laughter stopped he spotted Samus reaching down, using the stove to support herself, and picking up the ring box from the floor. Snake’s heart almost stopped as she stood back up, gazing at the box in her hand.

“What’s this?” Samus asked, her green-blue eyes flashed curiously.

“That’s… uh… well…” Snake blundered as he pushed the husky pup away and clambered to his feet. Samus raised an eyebrow at him before she opened the box and looked inside.A small gasp escaped her lips, and her eyes widened as she looked at the beautiful ring with the blue-green stone inside. She looked back at Snake. He just stood there, unsure of how to begin. “I bought it five months back… I was going to propose…” His tone faded at the end.

“What?”

It was time. Time to take the plunge.

“I wanted to propose,” He said, making sure his voice was clear. Samus looked down at the ring. Snake breathed in, got down on one knee and took a hold of Samus’ other hand, “Samus Aran… will you marry me?”

She said nothing for a few brief moments until she huffed angrily, “Why didn’t you ask me five months ago, Snake?!”

He shook his head, standing back up immediately. “I wanted to! That day… the day you told me you were pregnant… I had just picked up the ring! I was going to plan a big romantic date for us and ask you then, but then you told me and… well, you know what happened. And after all that, it just hit me — You were pregnant. I was going to be a dad. I got scared, Samus. I’m still scared,” he blubbered now, unable to stop himself. “I don’t know the first thing about raising a child. What if… What if I can’t do it? What if it’s just too much? I was abandoned too, I-I can’t do that to my own son—”

“That’s enough,” Samus interrupted. She snapped the ring box closed, put it on the kitchen bench and pulled Snake into a hug, “Don't talk like that. You don’t have to be so afraid.” She squeezed him gently as he wrapped his arms around her, returning the hug. “I’m scared too sometimes, you know?" she added, "But, I know that as long as we have each other, we can do it. And we will. You are _not_ your father, David. You’ll be the best dad ever to little Frankie.” She then pulled away from Snake, holding him at arm’s length. “So don’t you worry about a thing, alright?”

Snake nodded, her words reassured him, though he could still feel his fears weighing down on him. “I hope so, Samus...” He looked over at the ring box, “You know, you didn’t answer my question.”

“Do I even have to?” Samus smiled, “It’s obvious what my answer is. Yes, I’ll marry you.”


	6. Chapter 6

Snake sat next to Samus, holding her hand as she lay on the birthing bed of their hospital room. Her contractions were becoming more intense and frequent and the epidural had already been inserted, intravenously pumping medicine into her to ease her pain. Samus had no idea how she would be faring without it. Painkillers were truly a wonderful thing. The baby would be here soon and change their lives forever, she was so nervous.

Snake squeezed her hand, the ring on her finger shone in the light and the woman weakly gave him a pained smile. “I’ll be right here with you the whole time.” he said.  
Samus scrunched her face in agony as another contraction wracked her body.

“Thanks… Snake.” She panted.

The old soldier had been very comforting over the past couple of days, constantly being at Samus’ beck and call for anything she needed, an extra blanket or pillow, dimming the lights to the room, or running down to the hospital cafeteria to fetch her something to eat. He had been her pillar of strength throughout the whole process, although it would have helped if he didn’t look like he was about to throw up any minute.

There was a soft knock on the door, and a nurse peeked in. “Hello, Mrs. Aran,” she said. “How are you feeling?”

Samus gave her a weak smile. “Awful.”

“Ooh, honey, I know.” The nurse cooed as she entered the room and approached the both of them. “I’m just going to check how far along you are now, okay?” Samus nodded and propped apart her legs. The nurse lifted the blanket, looked underneath, then said excitedly, “Oh, good news! Looks like you’re fully dilated; you’re ready to have the baby right now.”

“R-R-Right now?” Snake stuttered.

The nurse ignored Snake and lowered the blanket. “Are you ready, Mrs. Aran?” Samus nodded, swallowing nervously, “Alright, let me go gather everyone up, and I’ll be back with your doctor.” She said before leaving the room.

When they were alone, Samus looked over at Snake, who was beginning to turn a ghostly shade of white. “This is it, Snake. You ready?”

“Yeah… yeah…” He weakly replied.

“Do you need to use the bathroom?”

“No, no, I’m fine… I’m…” He breathed out harshly. “I picked a bad time to quit smoking.”

Samus laughed. “Everything’s going to be fine, everything’s going—oh God...!” She scrunched her face again, another contraction washing through her. The look of anxiety reappeared on Snake’s face just as the door opened and a team of four nurses and a doctor came in. One nurse pushed a rolling table with equipment, while the doctor pulled up a rolling chair and positioned himself at the foot of the bed.

“Alright, Mrs. Aran, are you ready to deliver your baby?” He asked.

Samus took a deep breath. “Ready as I'll ever be.”

The doctor looked over at Snake. “Daddy, are you ready?”

Snake wiped the sweat from his brow with his free hand, only managing to mumble a “Yeah…” which earned him a sympathetic pat on the back from a nurse.

The doctor chuckled. “Don’t worry about a thing, your wife’s delivery is going to go very smoothly.” He assured, putting on a pair of blue latex gloves as he spoke. “Just let us know if you’re feeling faint; you’re not the first dad I’ve had pass out.”

Samus held back a laugh as she looked over at Snake, who only nodded his head. One of the nurses fiddled with the buttons on the bed’s guardrails, and mechanical whirs sounded as the bed began to rise, with the headrest propping Samus up into a sitting position. The other nurses swivelled the leg rests in place and propped a leg on each one of them, adjusting it for Samus until she was comfortable.

She squeezed Snake’s hand, her heart pounding rapidly. He nervously smiled at her as the doctor began, “Alright, Mrs. Aran, one deep breath, and… push.”

Samus' grip on Snake’s hand became iron-tight, but the soldier leaned in close and spoke comforting words to her as she concentrated on pushing. The nurses kept telling her to breathe, that she was doing great, and soon enough the doctor announced that the baby was beginning to crown. He asked Snake if he wanted to see, and Snake looked between the doctor and Samus. The woman was in too much pain to care what his decision was, but Snake stepped over to the end of the bed and looked. His eyes widened and his face twisted into the most hilarious expression of disgust, horror and confusion Samus had ever seen. Even in the midst of her crippling pain, she managed to laugh. The nurses and the doctor shared a giggle too as Snake returned to Samus’ side, grabbing her hand again.

“How was it?” She panted.

Snake shook his head. “I’ve been on the battlefield all my life, but that was the most horrifying thing I’ve ever seen.”

Samus laughed weakly before being prompted to keep pushing. The nurses kept up the gentle coaching, breathe and push they kept telling her, that’s all she had to do. Breathe and push.

Samus wasn’t sure how much more she could take. The pressure and the pain were becoming too much for her, sweat was pouring down her face. She wondered if the epidural was even working but she willed it all out of her mind and though, Just focus. Focus like you’re on a mission. Don't concentrate on anything else. Breathe and push. Breathe…

There was a tiny cry then, and time seemed to stop for an instant.

Samus looked up to see the doctor lift the wriggling body of a small child, its face scrunched and a loud wail coming from it. “It’s a boy!” The doctor announced. Tears instantly welled up in the bounty hunter’s eyes at the sight of the baby, and she glanced at Snake, who just stared, mouth slightly opened. She looked back as the doctor carefully placed the baby on her. “Say hello to your son!”

Samus wrapped her arms around the child, her tears falling freely. “Hello.” She cried softly, “Hello, little Frankie.” The infant began to quiet down at the sound of her voice, and she took in every feature of his face; his chubby little cheeks, his tiny nose, and the slight tuft of dark hair on his head. She felt a huge welling in her chest, almost like she was going to explode with emotion. “Look at him, Snake! Look!”

Snake’s face was turning red, and his hands were trembling as he reached over and touched the top of the baby’s head. Samus realized she’d rarely seen him get so emotional The little one began to cry again when the doctor took the baby carefully from Samus’ arms, much to her dismay.

“The nurses are going to clean him up now, okay?" He said, "And you’ll have him back.” Samus nodded, albeit reluctantly. The umbilical cord was cut and the nurses took the crying newborn out of the room, offering for Snake to go with them to watch the clean-up process. Samus urged him to go, and he gave her a loving peck on the forehead before following after the nurses.

It took a while. The doctor and a nurse stayed behind to clean Samus up and to make sure that her vitals were okay and stable. All Samus could think of, however, was when Snake would be back with their baby. The nurse idly chatted to Samus to help her pass the time, educating her on exactly how the child was being cleaned and what Samus needed to do now to take care of herself in the upcoming days. When Snake finally returned, he was holding a little blue bundle in his arms. There was a happy, teary-eyed smile on his hardened yet red face. Despite her soreness and fatigue, Samus sat up and excitedly reached her arms out to him, and Snake gently placed the bundle into her arms. She looked down at her son, tears beginning to run down her cheeks again, then she looked up at Snake and said softly, “He’s so adorable. He looks just like you.”

Snake nodded. “He’s got my hair.”

“And your nose.” Samus added.

Snake smiled. “You’re going to be quite the little lady killer when you grow up, kid.” Samus laughed, leaning her head against Snake as he softly stroked the baby’s cheek. “Our little boy.”


	7. Chapter 7

Snake was sitting outside on the patio, watching as a small child played in the yard, tossing a ball around and trying to run after it but their two grown huskies kept intervening, chasing after the ball themselves.

Sitting next to him in another chair was Samus, fast asleep. The red rubber ball came rolling over and hit Snake’s foot, the still-fat Chubs came running after it. He pawed at the ball a few times before Snake shooed him away as the little boy toddled his way over and picked it up. He smiled up at Snake, his chubby cheeks making the smile even cuter. “Hi Daddy!” the toddler said. The child looked over at Samus, who was still snoozing, and giggled, “Mummy’s sleepy.”

Snake picked the little boy up and sat him on his lap. “Mummy’s tired after her long trip,” He said. Samus had been off doing another mission in the far reaches of the Galactic Federation, and had only gotten home a few hours ago. She’d sat outside with Snake, watching their son Frankie play with the family’s dogs until she’d drifted off to sleep. Frankie yawned too, rubbing his bright blue-green eyes. “Come on. Let’s get you inside, it’s getting late,” Snake said. He stood and held little Frankie in his arms.

“But I dun wanna go inside!” Frankie complained in his childish way, before yawning again.

Snake smiled down at him before reaching over and waking Samus. “Wake up, Sam. Time to head in.”

She slowly and groggily opened her eyes, and Snake had to explain to her again that he was going to put Frankie to bed before she sleepily followed him into the house. Snake whistled for the dogs to come inside as well, and they bounded after the trio.

Both parents dressed Frankie in his pajamas, tucked him into bed and kissed him goodnight. Both dogs stayed behind to sleep on the rug of Frankie’s room, just like they always did. Snake and Samus settled on the couch in the living room, some terrible infomercial show was on but Snake wasn't paying attention, he was just happy to have Samus home and safely in his arms again.

“Snake?” She said, leaning on his chest.

“Yeah?”

“I love you.”

He smiled. “I love you too.” He leaned his head on the top of hers.

“Snake?” came her voice again.

“Hm?” He mumbled, closing his eyes.

“I think I’m pregnant again.”

Snake’s eyes shot back open and he looked down at her. “What?!”

Samus laughed. “Kidding!” She kissed him lightly on the cheek. “Got you good though.”

Snake shook his head, "Trying to give me a heart attack? Don’t ever do that again.” He warned playfully.

"Oh sorry," she fake apologized, "I'll make sure to tell you in the kitchen next time." She laughed at him, and Snake mocked her laughter.

Yep, good to have her home again.


End file.
